THE widow of head teacher Philip Lawrence says she is "devastated and demoralised" that the Government was not being allowed to deport his killer.

"More than that, I'm unutterably depressed that the Human Rights Act has failed to encompass the rights of my family to lead a safe, secure and happy life," Frances Lawrence said.

Her husband was stabbed to death in an attack outside St George's Roman Catholic School in Maida Vale, west London, in December 1995.

The father of four had been protecting a 13-year-old pupil.

The Home Office confirmed it would be appealing "robustly" against the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal's decision that her husband's killer, Learco Chindamo, should be allowed to stay in Britain.

Chindamo's solicitor Nigel Leskin said it would be "disproportionate" to deport him as he had no connections with Italy and did not even speak the language.

He said Chindamo was a reformed character who was unlikely to offend again.

In October 1996 Chindamo - who was 15 at the time of the killing - was ordered to be detained indefinitely for the killing, and given a 12-year minimum tariff.

Mr Lawrence, 48, was attacked when a gang of 12 youths led by Chindamo went to attack a boy who had quarrelled with a pupil of Filipino origin.

Chindamo punched and stabbed the headmaster, who died the same evening.

Chindamo has always claimed another youth was the killer.

He said he was the victim of mistaken identity as another youth was wearing his jacket, and said he was 30 feet from the murder scene. Chindamo was ordered to be detained indefinitely after a jury convicted him.

Alan Gordon, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the decision not to allow his deportation was "absolute madness".

He added: "What about the human rights of Philip Lawrence, robbed of his life by a thoughtless knife attack, or the human rights of Mr Lawrence's wife and children, deprived of a loving husband and father?"